A West Midlands-based renal dialysis service is the first in the country to offer its patients the flu jab at its dialysis unit.

This renal dialysis flu vaccination scheme was the brain-child of renal clinicians at University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) – which runs the dialysis service – who identified an opportunity to increase access to the national flu immunisation programme.

UHB’s Consultant Nephrologist, Dr Clara Day, and Lead Satellite Liaison Nurse, Anne Marie Phythian, worked in conjunction with NHS England to roll out flu vaccinations at its 11 dialysis units across Birmingham and the West Midlands.

The scheme has been hugely successful with almost 85% of dialysis patients (more than 400) having taken up the vaccination.

Dialysis patients – who on average undergo dialysis treatment three to four times per week – are in regular close contact with other patients both while undergoing dialysis treatment and during transportation to and from dialysis,and are therefore at increased risk of catching and spreading the disease.

Flu is highly contagious, but for healthy people flu is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease. However, patients with kidney failure are more likely to become seriously unwell if they contract flu.

Dr Day said: “We know that dialysis treatment is time-consuming and tiring, with many patients spending three days a week undergoing treatment and recovering from it.

“We therefore felt that providing the vaccine at our satellite dialysis units would be more convenient for patients than making a separate trip to their GP surgery.

“We are pleased to say our dialysis units are the first in England to offer this service to patients and we are delighted that this programme has been well received.

“In total, almost 85% of dialysis patients have had a flu vaccine this year, which means more than 400 patients have had the vaccine at their dialysis unit.

“Of those who didn’t have their vaccine at their unit, many told us they had already attended their GP surgery to get the vaccine, but that they would be fully supportive of the vaccine being administered at the dialysis unit next year. This is fantastic news.”

Dr Ash Banerjee, screening and immunisations lead for NHS England in the West Midlands, said: “We want to make sure that as many people as possible who are entitled to the free flu vaccination are able to access it. 

“This year we have looked into a number of different ways of offering these, for example in schools, GP practices, pharmacies and many midwifery services. Offering the flu vaccinations to patients when they are attending their dialysis session saves them time and is more convenient.”